With just a week to go until the Duke football program kicks off its 2025 season against Elon on August 28th, it's time for preseason conference rankings, player rankings, and sleeper rankings, which is the most fun for lots of fans. There are several Blue Devils on the roster poised for breakout campaigns, both newcomers and returners, but some guys on the roster may be ready to take college football by storm who no one's talking about.
Aside from all the stars around the sport that fans across the country are ready to watch all season, this Duke senior could be the biggest sleeper in college football.
ESPN slots Nick Morris Jr. as top sleeper in college football for 2025
ESPN college football reporter Adam Rittenberg recently dropped his list of 43 breakout candidates around college football who no one's talking about, and he included Duke senior linebacker Nick Morris Jr. on the list.
"Duke has star power on both sides of the ball after a nine-win season in coach Manny Diaz's debut," Rittenberg said. "While transfer quarterback Darian Mensah, All-American cornerback Chandler Rivers, offensive tackle Brian Parker II and others will generate attention, Morris' return from injury could be sneaky important. He started the final five games of the 2023 season and rose to third on the team in tackles with 61. Morris had 12 tackles against Pitt and a forced fumble against rival North Carolina. He has played in 20 career games but only one for Diaz and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke."
Morris, a former three-star recruit by 247Sports in the class of 2021, has spent the last four seasons in Durham and is entering his fifth and final collegiate season. The Fairfield, CT native saw no game action in 2021 and has recorded 75 total tackles and a sack across his career with Duke.
2023 was by far the most productive season of Morris' career, where he saw action in all 13 games and started the final five, tallying 60 total tackles. After sustaining a season-ending injury in Duke's opener last season against Elon, Morris could be primed to take over as the top linebacker on the roster.
The Blue Devils lost their top three linebackers from the 2024 season, who were also the team's top three leaders in tackles. With a major void in the defensive front seven, Morris is in a prime position to become a key piece from the get-go.
In 2024, Duke finished second in the nation in tackles for loss (116), fourth in the nation in sacks (43), and 26th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (33.8). Although the program is returning several key pieces from that unit, filling that major hole at the linebacker position will be critical for repeated success.
Morris has flown completely under the radar after missing almost the entirety of the 2024 season with injury, but he might be one of the top breakout candidates on a national scale who hasn't gotten a peep.